According to Konstantin Popov of the Russian Association of Developers of Interactive Technology (RADIT), the Russian game industry reached $820 million last year, despite a 40 percent decline in its most profitable sector - PC games he also says that his organization is working with the Russian government to get game makers incentives and inclusion in a new tech-focused development in Moscow.

Speaking in Cologne, Germany RADIT's Konstantin Popov said that Russian developers are slowly moving away from the traditional focus on PC games because other sectors are picking up. That PC games market had declined by 40 percent, while consoles rose by 15 percent, casual by 30 percent and mobile by 10 percent. Online gaming seemed to get the biggest bump in 2009, growing by some 70 percent. Interestingly retail sales and PC games remain the focus despite changes in sales across different platforms. Traditional Brick and mortar sales accounted for $500 million of the $820 million market value, while PC games still constitute 80 percent of the market.

Popov predicts revenues to rise from the current $225 million market value to $400 million by 2012. The casual market in particular is set for a growth spurt - from $32 million in 2009 to $42 million in 2010. Also on hand was BIart Studio's Dmitry Lyust, who tried to explain why the country had been so reticent to move beyond PC game development - though we suspect a lot of that has to do with the widespread penetration of desktop computers in many Russian households..

"Russian branches of Microsoft and Sony didn't provide any significant support for Russian game developers," he said. "Even now there are significant issues in obtaining licenses for Russian companies. Russian game publishers provided funding to PC projects only because there was no console market in Russian in those days."

But the real story is the Russian government may be working on a plan to add game development companies to its own silicon valley in south-west Moscow. Popov said that RADIT was working with politicians to ensure gaming played a part in the planned Russian Silicon Valley in Moscow. The area is projected to give some 30,000 to 40,000 scientists and engineers jobs researching technologies, and RADIT hopes to work that its work with the government will help create a special game industry sector in Skolkovo. Tax relief and other incentives are also on the table to entice international publishers and developers to join.

"Our president is very interested in investing in this field," said Popov. "We plan to make a real investment boom now."

Shout box

Infophile: @Matt: Apparently Dan Aykroyd actually is involved. We don't know how yet, though, but he's apparently going to be in the movie in some way.08/02/2015 - 4:17am

Mattsworkname: I still hold that not having the origonal cast invovled in any way hurts this movie, and unless the 4 actresses in the lead roles can some how measure up to the comic timing of the origonal cast, i just don't see it being a success08/02/2015 - 12:46am

Mattsworkname: Mecha: regardless of what you think of it, GB 2 was a finanical success and for it time did well with audiances ,even if it wasnt as popular as the first08/02/2015 - 12:45am

MechaTama31: I think they're better off trying to do something different, than trying to be exactly the same and having every little difference held up as a shortcoming. Uncanny valley.08/01/2015 - 11:57pm

MechaTama31: Having the original cast didn't do much for... that pink-slimed atrocity which we must never speak of.08/01/2015 - 11:56pm

Mattsworkname: Andrew: If the new ghostbusters bombs, I cant help but feel it'll be cause it removed the origonal cast and changed the formula to much08/01/2015 - 8:31pm

Andrew Eisen: Not the best look but that appears to be a PKE meter hanging from McCarthy's belt.08/01/2015 - 7:34pm

Mattsworkname: You know what game is a lot of fun? rocket league. It' s a soccer game thats actually fun to play cause your A Freaking CAR!08/01/2015 - 7:02pm

Mattsworkname: Nomad colossus did a little video about it, showing the world and what can be explored in it's current form. It's worth a look, and he uses text for commentary as not to break the immerison08/01/2015 - 5:49pm

Mattsworkname: I feel some more mobility would have made it more interesting and I feel that a larger more diverse landscape with better graphiscs would help, but as a concept, it interests me08/01/2015 - 5:48pm

Andrew Eisen: Huh. I guess I'll have to check out a Let's Play to get a sense of the game.08/01/2015 - 5:47pm

Mattsworkname: It did, I found the idea of exploring a world at it's end, exploring the abandoned city of a disappeared alien race and the planets various knooks and crannies intriqued me.08/01/2015 - 5:46pm

Andrew Eisen: Did it appeal to you? If so, what did you find appealing?08/01/2015 - 5:43pm

Mattsworkname: Its an interesting concept, but it's not gonna appeal to everyone thats for sure,08/01/2015 - 5:40pm

Andrew Eisen: That sounds horrifically boring. Doesn't sound like an interesting use of its time dilation premise either. 08/01/2015 - 5:36pm

Mattsworkname: an observer , seeing this sorta frozen world and being able to explore without any restriction other then time. no enimes, no threats, just the chance to explore08/01/2015 - 5:34pm

Mattsworkname: Andrew: I meant lifeless planet, Time frame is an exploration game. Your dropped onto a world which is gonna be hit by a metor in 10 seconds, but due to time dilation ,you actually have ten minutes, so you can explore the world, in it's last moments, as08/01/2015 - 5:32pm